AN ODE TO A CLASSIC TALE
Ira Dubey is all set to perform in the Hindi adaptation of the classic, Hedda Gabler, titled Hardit Kaur Gill, and calls her character, one of the darkest ones of her career
It wasn’t rocket science when senior actor and theatre artiste, Lillete Dubey’s daughter, Ira Dubey, debuted on screen with the Salman Khan-starrer, Marigold (2007). Love and understanding of arts ran in her family. But to come this far portraying some unforgettable, dark and intense performances truly defines Ira as an actor. On a professional note, Ira is on a high as she has her popular plays — namely Devika Rani, Wedding Album and Hardit Kaur Gill lined up for back-to-back shows throughout February. When asked about it, she laughs saying, “Last year, I was so exhausted after doing so many shows and plays that I’d decided that in 2020, I would do only a few plays. And it’s just February, and I already have shows of four different plays lined up.” However, Hardit Kaur Gill is the first one among them to be staged.
The play is an adaptation of another famous play — considered as a modern classic in Western theatre — it’s called Hedda Gabler, by the legendary playwright, Henrick Ibson. It is adapted in Hindi by Ila Arun and directed by KK Raina. Ira says that it was fun working with them. “It is a real treat to work with Ila ma’am and KK sir. This is the first time in a production, where they are directing and acting with me. They had produced another play of mine, which was directed by Pushan Kripalani called Doll’s House. And I know that the only people in India who are really dedicated in showing this kind of a story are Ila ma’am and KK sir. They do various festivals and are so committed to recreating classic works and bringing it to the Indian audience. So, when they asked me to do Hardit, I didn’t even had to think twice. I immediately said yes. I hadn’t read the script or seen the adaptation, didn’t have one meeting with them, mainly because of my experience of working with them in Doll House, and I knew that it would be a wonderful and fulfilling exercise,” says an excited Ira.
In the original play, Hedda is considered to be one of the most complex female characters by Ibson. When it first came out in 1870, many were horrified of her. They had no sympathy for her. They found her very manipulative, vindictive and malicious. So, ask her how she went onto playing Hardit, and she says, “Bringing Hedda back, in the Indian context is a very interesting adaption where we are taking a modern girl, an educated, traditional, independent and strong woman. So, understanding what she seeks and who she is, is key to playing this role. In today’s day and age, that question is very complicated. We had discussions with the team on how to make her more relevant in today’s life. We don’t see Hardit very much in touch with technology, so that the focus doesn’t change from questions like ‘why is she unhappy?’. There are many aspects as to why the woman behaves the way she does. I always get to play these intense characters and I have done this with my mum a lot. But this is one of the darkest plays that I have done.”
Ira, who is mostly a part of English plays, says that coming to back to her mother tongue is also special. “I am doing a Hindi play after a really long time. And it is a completely different experience from doing an English play. Aadhe Adhure was my last Hindi play. There is something magical about our mother tongue. It taps into different sections of your emotional makeup. In Hardit, I got to work with people who are very much from the Hindi theatre industry. So, I was very nervous in the beginning, but they all made me feel very comfortable. And, before we knew it, we had very good results,” she says.
Talking about her fondest memories of acting as a kid, she says, “I have lots of memories of acting as various animals with my aunt, who runs a children’s theatre company in Delhi. But on a more serious note, doing my solo in Nine Parts Of Desire was one of my most fulfilling experiences. I had reached a point in my career where I needed to push myself, and on a personal level, it was the last thing that my father ever saw me doing. That was very meaningful because we lost him to cancer soon after.”
MORE INFO
What: Hardit Kaur Gill Where: Royal Opera House Theatre, Charni Raod When: February 16, 7pm.